Letters to the editor 4/5

Officials, deny PILOT for medical building

Kirchhoff Medical Properties, Health Quest Inc., and its affiliate Northern Dutchess Hospital's request for a PILOT, a payment in lieu of taxes for seven years for the construction of a medical building on the campus of Northern Dutchess Hospital should not be approved by town, village and school district officials. The granting of a PILOT is nothing more than a not-too-veiled taxpayer subsidy to a for-profit business. Proponents of this project and the PILOT request will suggest that the grant of a PILOT will reap economic benefits to the community and without it the building will not be constructed. In my opinion, this building will be constructed with or without the PILOT.

The real issue that needs to be addressed is the greater return on investment the developer and hospital will receive as a result of the PILOT. It is admirable that the developer is "gifting" the building back to the hospital over 35 years but what tax benefits will inure to Kirchhoff by putting the title to the property in a family trust initially and subsequently over the terms of the lease to the hospital? Do they really need additional real estate tax benefits as the rest of the community see their property taxes rising every year? While the hospital is a nonprofit, this does not mean that they do not earn any profit, just that they do not pay income taxes on it.

John C. VanWormer

former chair of the board of Health Quest and Northern Dutchess Hospital

Rhinebeck

Cuomo should wait for fracking study results

After seeing John Bowermaster's "Dear Governor Cuomo" three times I was inspired and energized to become an environmental action liaison for Hudson River Sloop Clearwater's Ban Fracking Now group and facilitated Clearwater joining New Yorkers Against Fracking. I helped bring Pete Seeger (with 1,500 other activists) to NYAF's rally at Gov. Andrew Cuomo's State of the State address this January and have continued to meet regularly with Manna Jo Greene, Clearwater's environmental director and members of Beacon Climate Action. Clearwater members actively support our efforts and communicate through Clearwater's Facebook page and Twitter account.

I am hopeful that this grass-roots movement will persuade Gov. Cuomo and other leaders worldwide to await the many long-term regional and national health studies just getting underway. Unfortunately the people of Pennsylvania and the other states where high-volume hydrofracking is permitted are the unwitting subjects of these studies - as were the residents of Love Canal, Fukushima, Bhopal and the Gulf Coast.

Don Raskopf

Beacon

Same-sex acceptance not a foregone conclusion

I strongly oppose the distorted view of the Poughkeepsie Journal editorial, "Court should hasten rights of gay couples," (March 27). The Defense of Marriage Act should be upheld. Gay couples should have no legal "right" to marry. The so-called LGBT movement is leading a very evil and immoral lifestyle and practice. It is not a foregone conclusion that same-sex marriages will be the law in every state, and the U.S. Supreme Court may say that this social issue should be decided by each state, by elections, and not by courts. The Catholic Church will not ever recognize gay marriages or any rights of gay couples to adopt children, or sanctify these false marriages. Marriage has been defined for thousands of years - by human society and by Judeo-Christian values and supported by natural law - as between a man and a woman. One major purpose of marriage is to produce and raise well-adjusted children. Children need role models of a man and woman in a loving and committed loyal relationship for life. Marriage is a sacrament, but the gays are making it into a sacrilege. A younger demographic needs to be taught Christian values. Thirty-three states prohibit gay marriage, and many people in our state oppose it also and will never recognize its moral validity.

Tom Malone

Poughkeepsie

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Letters to the editor 4/5

Officials, deny PILOT for medical buildingKirchhoff Medical Properties, Health Quest Inc., and its affiliate Northern Dutchess Hospital's request for a PILOT, a payment in lieu of taxes for seven

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